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"What?" She frowned.
"I said, do you like running that saloon?" He turned to look at her now, knowing he had shocked her to some extent.
"Like it?" She questioned.
"Yeah, do you enjoy running that saloon?"
She had her hands in her lap and she threw them up, in a gesture of question. "I never thought about it. I'm there, I run it. I've been there a long time. But I never considered whether I like it or not, but that it's my lot in life."
"What if it wasn't?" He asked, coming closer now.
"I've always sort of thought I must belong there." She gestured again with her hands, obviously puzzled by his question. "What are you getting at?"
"No you don't belong there, you never did. We both know that. You never belonged there and I told you so, years ago."
"I remember. But Cord, I had to make a living and I was only fifteen then. What else could I do?"
"What if you don't belong there at all, Lilly. What if you had a chance to be a wife and a mother."
Lilly squirmed a bit on the log and finally got up and paced about, nervously. "I am a mother."
"True, but you aren't a wife…what if you were?"
"I gave up a
long time ago on the idea of ever marrying." Lilly quipped and turned away from him.
He turned her around, holding her by the shoulders gently and looking into her eyes. "Marry me Lilly."
Her mouth fell open with shock. Obviously she hadn't expected him to blurt that out.
"Marry you?" She backed away a bit to stare into his eyes. "You're serious?"
"I've thought about it, all night long. And it's a perfect solution for both of us. I do need roots Lilly. I do need a home. But…staying here, alone, I don't want that. I've been alone most of my life. I want a family. And you've got one. You need a home too. I'd like to give it to you. Don't you see, we need each other."
"But Cord…"
"We've been friends all our lives. We get along well, don't we?" He asked.
"Well of course we do, but…"
"Don't let your foolish pride keep you from doing what would be good for both of us and for Charlie. I know I’m not doing this right. Hell, I've never asked a woman to marry me. But…If you marry me, I'll stay and ranch this place. I'll put my roots here. I'll be good to you and Charlie, I'll take care of you. You'll never have to work in a saloon again."
"But Cord…marriage is more than that…"
"I know. But we like each other, don't we?"
"Well yes…"
"Isn't that a start in the right direction? Oh…if you are worried about being intimate, we wouldn't have to be…not unless you wanted it. I wouldn't force myself on you, but I'm sure not opposed to it, as I really want a family."
Her face was full of questions.
Doubt clouded her beautiful eyes.
He brought her back to the log to sit down and looked at her intently. "I know this is sudden. And I know I'm not doing this right too, but it's because it's so sudden. I want to take care of you Lilly, you and Charlie. I want someone here to come home to when I've been out busting my butt to make a go of this place. I want someone who cares. You and Charlie can give me a reason to come in from a hard day's work. I can give you both a reason to stay…. We can be a family. A good family. And maybe in time…we might…come to have real feelings for one another. I don't expect it now, but in time…"
She sighed heavily.
